Tuesday, May 28, 2013

I'm writing this post from my family's dining room table in my hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I've been home for over two weeks now, which has been both wonderful and odd. It has been almost a year since I packed up my life and moved to Michigan and then on to New York. This is only the third time I've been back to Oklahoma since spreading my wings and "leaving the nest." Honestly I was so incredibly busy the past few months that I didn't have much time to get homesick, but I was definitely ready to be with my family by the time I arrived on May 11th. I've been thinking a lot about the concept of "home" over the past couple of weeks. The more time I've spent here in Oklahoma, the more my heart feels ready to go back to New York. I've even caught myself referring to New York as "home" in everyday conversations. It is because of this transition in my heart that I began to contemplate what home really means to me. My family moved around a lot when I was growing up. After counting it up, I discovered I lived in 10 different apartments or houses in 4 different states over the span of 23 years. Because of the constant movement, I never felt like I was able to call any one place "home." My family moved to Tulsa when I was ten, but I didn't really started to think of it as home until after I graduated college. I had spent so much time thinking of where I was going to go next that I hadn't allowed myself to become attached or to enjoy where I was currently. Now, after only a few months, I think of Nyack as home. I am now content with having two places to call home....one where I have many fond memories, and one where I am creating new ones. Now that I no longer live in Oklahoma, I refer to it as "going home," although to me home is much more than a place. Home means my family. It means my mom and dad and my three brothers and our small energetic dachshund. It means hugs and kisses, laughter and tears, good food and strong coffee, worship sessions around the guitar, late night conversations about life and God, and hours spent simply enjoying each other's company. Tomorrow, I will pack up my oversized pink Hawaiian duffel bag and journey back to New York. I am excited to return to the place where I am starting my own little life, but there is a part of my heart that will always belong to Oklahoma. This is home to me, and I will never tire of coming back.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

I am devoting this post to explaining why I have been mostly absent from the blogging world so far this year. Two words. Well, a name, actually: Joshua North. Now this could get a little cheesy, but I'm prepared for eye-rolls - doesn't bother me in the least. This man is the reason I've been so incredibly scattered over the past few months, both in my head and literally - all over the country. We started dating in February, after meeting in January at my church in New York while he was visiting friends and then talking long-distance for a month - him in California, me in New York. Before meeting Josh, I had never been to northern California. I have now been 3 times. Actually, there were a lot of things I'd never done before meeting Josh. Which is why I'm introducing him on my blog. Those of you who know me know I love adventure. Dating Joshua has most definitely been an adventure in itself, but we've also had many other adventures along the way! I will be sharing our adventures as they happen, because my life is an adventure and he is now a part of my life!

We took this picture on one of our many adventures. When I was in Redding last week, we decided to hike up to Whiskeytown Falls, which is about a 20 minute drive. The hike was a little more difficult than anticipated, but the view was so worth it! This was just one of the fun things we have done together, like a segway tour along the Sacramento River, a "picnic" in the middle of the floor in my apartment, exploring Old Sacramento just because, and webcam coffee dates when we're 3,000 miles away from each other. Josh has made my life a bit more colorful and given me one more reason to smile every day. And he even likes coffee! So, now that I've given you a small introduction to this new man in my life, stay tuned for the many more stories of the many more adventures that will most definitely occur in the days and months ahead!

About Me

My three greatest passions are God, people, and coffee. There are few things I enjoy more than sitting down for a cup of coffee with a friend. I invite you to join me as I share my heart with you, just as if we were drinking coffee together. Because, after all, it is never too late for coffee.